The unmanned spacecraft 'X-37B', which has been orbiting the earth for more than two years, is about to break its own record of 780 consecutive flight days.

More than 770 days have passed since the launch of the U.S. Air Force unmanned orbiter X-37B on May 17, 2020, and it is about to break the record of 780 consecutive flights achieved in 2019.

Air Force X-37B Robotic Space Plane: Nearing Record Flight
https://www.leonarddavid.com/air-force-x-37b-robotic-space-plane-nearing-record-flight/

The X-37B is an unmanned orbital aircraft developed by the United States and aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and is operated by the United States Space Force in orbit. The development project itself began in 1996 and has completed a total of five missions since its first flight in April 2010. In addition, the number of consecutive flight days in orbit is increasing with each mission, and the fifth mission returned in October 2019 achieved a record of 780 days.

The mysterious unmanned spacecraft 'X-37B' returns to the ground for the first time in 780 days after completing a top secret mission --GIGAZINE

The X-37B was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida on May 17, 2020 to carry out its sixth mission. Since the mission content of the X-37B was confidential, it had not been clarified until then, but for the fifth mission, 'experiments using small satellites' and 'effects from space such as radiation are plant seeds and samples. The US Air Force has announced that it is a content such as 'Investigation of the effect on radiation.'

Launch of orbital tester X-37B under missions such as 'space solar power generation' and investigation of the effects of radiation on seeds --GIGAZINE

The following is an image of the X-37B actually in orbit flight taken from the ground on June 25, 2022. The X-37B is a light spot that cuts through the dark night sky at a considerable speed.

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According to Boeing, which designed and developed the X-37B, the unmanned aerial vehicle X-37B is designed to automatically perform all deorbit and landing functions. In addition, all flight controls and brakes are electromechanical, and no hydraulic ones are used. In addition, the body is made of a lighter alloy rather than aluminum, and reusable insulation and reinforced unipiece fibrous insulation (TUFI) are also used.

The X-37B, which was launched on May 17, 2020 in the sixth mission, will break the record of 780 consecutive flights achieved in the previous mission on July 7, 2022, which is the 781th day after the launch. Will be.

Boeing said, 'The X-37B is one of the world's newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft, designed to operate in low earth orbit 150-500 miles above Earth. For the first time since the Space Shuttle, the X-37B has the ability to send experimental results back to Earth for further inspection and analysis, and is also exploring reusable vehicle technology to support long-term space targets. '.